Description

Using time travel as an organizing principle, Robert M. Sapolsky, in his book Behave, addresses human reaction to stimuli and concludes that nature reigns over nurture. “Seconds before our action, it is neuroscience that investigates what is going on in the brain; minutes to days before is the domain of endocrinology (hormonal fluctuations). Days to months before, we focus on the brain’s ability to learn and rewire itself.”

However if every human action is inescapably caused by preceding events in the world, including events from centuries to millennia before (chapter 9) and events in the brain, how do we account for free will? Can humans be moral beings? Should our justice system recognize the biological drivers of behavior? How should we think about religion? These issues too will be discussed.

In summary this SDG will help you understand the eternal response "the devil made me do it" -- and, perhaps conclude, he did.

Sapolsky’s book is fairly non-technical although some neurological terms and ideas are used. In addition Sapolsky has at least two full lectures entitled "Human Behavior Biology" on endocrinology and neurosciences for the non professional on YouTube.

Weekly Topics

Our behavior, One Second before, Seconds to minutes before. Chapters 1,2 and 3